Kid Zatanna
This story takes place in the 1930's. I had origonaly posted this on the MysteryNet site for "Stories That Never Were". It may be the best thing I ever wrote. Try to figure out what the flowers mean.
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"Goodness," said Hannah. "There's another flower delivery for you, miss Nancy!"
Nancy Drew took the box as the old clock struck the half hour. Since noon, a delivery from up-scale flower shop, Exotic Florals had arived every half hour. Nancy layed the flowers on the dineing table and studied them with a frown.
First had been Iris, then Zennae. Now there was a single Dwarf Sunflower. No cards had accompanied them and the delivery boy had no idea who the sender was. Nancy had by now decided that it could not be Ned. He would have sent a note and besides, "Exotic Florals" was too pricey for him! Nancy called Bess and George.
LATER...
"I just don't get it," complaned George. "Who's doing this and what's his racket?"
They had gone to the floral shop to question the owner and clerk, but only learned that the orders came from a muffled voice over the telephone. The flowers had been paid for earlier when an unemplyed man brought an envelope with more than enough cash for the orders so far. Bess, who thought it was romantic, was now a little worried.
"All we accomplished was to receive another flower!" She cried, looking at the Maiden's Blush Rose.
Nancy reguarded the carefully arrainged flowers. They were lined up in the order they had arrived. Between the Sunflower and the Rose, Nancy had placed a Heartsease, which Hannah told her had arrived soon after they had left for the florist. This ment something, but what? The three jumpped as the doorbell rang. Answering it herself, Nancy came back with another delivery! This time it had a card with only a question mark on it.
"Now it's getting really strange!" she observed, takeing out the Candy Tuft.
As the three pondered the puzzel, Nancy suddenly bolted from her chair. Consulting a book, the detective smiled and hurried to the phone.
"Do you have Arbor Vita?" She asked the florist. "Good. And Nutmeg Geranium? Thank you. I'd like to order a set of each. Thank you very much."
"What is it, Nancy?" Demanded Bess.
"Did you solve the mystery?" Added George.
"Ladies, we are going to have a visitor within the hour," she told them with her eyes sparkling.
Bess and George nervously awaited the arriveal of the mysterious person who had been sending Nancy flowers. They had been so nervous in fact, that Nancy had drafted them to help Hannah fold the bed sheets the houskeeper had taken of the clothesline. Nancy had said that they would have a visitor within the hour. And as the hour ticked by, her chums were getting impatient.
"George," Nancy said, looking up from her book. "Leave dad's guns where they are. We won't need them and besides, none of them are loaded."
"How much longer must we wait?" George asked, floping back into her chair.
The ringing of the doorbell answered that question. Nancy Drew went to the door and her friends could hear her say something to someone. She came back with a smile on her face.
"My dears, may I present the authoress of this mystery?"
At her gesture, Helen Corning came into the room.
"Helen?" Cried Bess. "I thought you were in the Territory of Hawaii!"
"I flew in on the sleeper last night. But I believe you want to know about my little prank?"
"Yes, what's with all the flowers?" George asked.
"It was a message," the Corning hieress told them casting a pleased glance at the blond detective. "I knew Nancy would figure it out."
"Nancy once complained that I never tell her when I return to the States," Helen said, settleing on the couch. "And since she told me that she had played a trick on you both at the the Deer Mountain Lodge by sending you flowers, It gave me an idea."
"I knew that it was Helen when I figured the clues," Nancy added. "After all, it was she who gave me this book. It has a chapter entitled 'The Language Of Flowers'. Helen and I used to use it in our secret letters to each other."
"So what was the message?" Asked Bess.
"The first delivery was Iris," Helen began. "It means 'a message' and was to tip Nancy off."
"It took me a while to dope it out," The teen detective admited.
"The second and third deliverys, Zennae and Drawf Sunflower, were hints as to my identity," she looked at the girl beside her to indicate that Nancy should translate.
"Absent friends and your devout admirer. Really Helen, devout?" Nancy asked with a blush.
"Well, I couldn't find one meaning 'best friend'. Heartsease was to prompt your memory," she added.
"Think of me," Nancy explaned.
"Maiden's Blush Rose was both a challenge and a plea."
"If you love me, you will find me out," was the meaning.
"But what about the card with the question mark?" Asked George, who was thrilled with the puzzel.
"Yes, Helen. The flowers mean indifrence, but the puncuation?" Nancy injected.
"Umm, there wasn't a flower that asked a direct question," her friend answered, with slight embarassment. "And...well, I was afraid that you had decyphered the clues and didn't like my little game."
"I think my reply answers that question," the blond girl laughed. "Arbor Vita."
"Unchangeing friendship," Helen smiled. "Nancy thensent me Nutmeg Geranium."
"What does that mean?" The cousins said together. (They then linked pinky fingers and made a wish)
"I expect a meeting. Nancy was telling me to come here."
"It's all so clear when you know the code!" George cried.
"So Nancy, did you enjoy my little mystery?"
"Yes Helen, thank you."
"Happy belated birthday, Nancy," Helen Corning told her.